Collection Summary

Literary Rights

Literary rights were not granted to the Wichita State University. When permission is granted to examine the manuscripts, it is not an authorization to publish them. Manuscripts cannot be used for publication without regard for common law literary rights, copyright laws and the laws of libel. It is the responsibility of the researcher and his/her publisher, to obtain permission to publish. Scholars and students who eventually plan to have their work published are urged to make inquiry regarding overall restrictions on publication before initial research.

Content Note

This collection contains pamphlets concerning bimetallism, defined as “the use of gold and silver as the monetary standard of currency and value and the doctrine advocating bimetallism,” and the National Currency System, a system that refers to “currency that is a portion of the national money supply consisting of bank notes and government-issued paper money and coins,” and is not backed by precious metals any longer. The volume of currency is determined by the actions of the government or central bank and not by the supply of precious metals. Written in the late 1800s and early 1900s, these pamphlets include discussions of monetary and currency questions by Abraham Lincoln, William McKinley, William Sherman, and others. (Sources: The American Heritage Dictionary, 1985, p. 179; The New Encyclopedia Britannica, 15th edition, volume 3, p. 802.)